GAMMA RAY — No World Order (review)

GAMMA RAY — No World Order album cover Album · 2001 · Power Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4.5/5 ·
Kingcrimsonprog
2001's No World Order was the legendary German Power Metal band Gamma Ray's seventh full-length studio album. After two Sci-Fi themed concept albums, the band returned to the set-of-songs formula, with fantasy lyrics and themes covered like on their earlier records.

The music is explosive and bombastic on a grand scale, and in combination with the production, it jumps out of the speakers perhaps the most of any Gamma Ray album. It's a really great example of both the band and the genre. They lean a little more heavily on the thrash component of their sound this time around, while still retaining their Queen influence, progressive attitudes and neo-classical components in smaller doses, so its one of the most aggressive and hard hitting records the band have put out.

A lot of fans hail this record as one of the band's best, and its certainly a damn fine record, a great example of melodic, thrashy Power Metal. If you like virtuosic guitar work, lots of harmonies, big choral backing vocals, shrieking high pitched Heavy Metal vocals and pounding double-kick filled drumming then it's a great example.

Standout tracks include `Solid,' `Dethrone Tyranny' and `Heart Of The Unicorn.' They have a sense of urgency and are a mixture of impressive serious Metal and great cheesy fun.

Admittedly, some fans criticize the band for running out of ideas and recycling old Gamma Ray and Helloween riffs and vocal patterns, as well as taking suspiciously direct Judas Priest influences (specifically `Painkiller' and `Metal Meltdown') and suggest that the album is the start of a period of decline.

Personally, in this instance I don't mind the repetition of old material too much at all, since it is done so well. They may take familiar sounds, but they rework them, and they're only one part of a song that's great on its own anyway.

Overall; The guitar solos are brilliant, the choruses are memorable and the riffs and drumming are driving, heavy and energetic. This is a really entertaining record and as long as you haven't overdosed on its formula before hand, should still be of a high enough quality to excuse that one issue.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

A Sonication Technical Death Metal
OBSCURA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Hin helga kvöl Atmospheric Sludge Metal
SÓLSTAFIR
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Cycles of Suffering Black Metal
BURIAL OATH
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Suns of Perdition - Chapter IV: To Shadow Zion Black Metal
PANZERFAUST
Buy this album from MMA partners
Facilis Descensus Averno Death Metal
SAEVUS FINIS
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

DAWN OF REVENGE - Sanctuary [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 6 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - Farewell [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 6 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - Curtain of Death - [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 6 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - Vengeance [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 6 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - I Need You [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 6 days ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed